Current-motor



. J. McGAVOCK. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16. 1919.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

-w. I. McGAVOCK.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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- UNITED STATES PA TEN'T om wmnrau J. uceavocx, or mmrnrs, 'rnnnnssmcUaRENr-moron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

Application filed December 16, 1919. lerial m 4 3 a To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. Mo- GAvooK, a, citizen ofthe UnitedStates of America, residin at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and tateof Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCurrent-Motors, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensivepower plant in the nature of a motor adapted for driving by suchcurrents as those of the ocean and streams, including tide waters,provision beof units simultaneously operable as'well as controlled.

- A further object of the invention is the provision of a current motorreadily posii tive orinoperative at will from a suitable tionedsubmerged for use by a suitable craft e ther above or below'the motor,arrange-- ment being made for rendering the motor inoperative at will,and for the simultaneous controlofa plurality of units, formingthe'power plant; the separate units being adapted for opposite rotationfor increasing the stability of the plant.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of currentwheels adapted for turning in opposite directions and provided withsimultaneous controlling means whereby the entire'plant may berenderedoperapoint above the water where the power of the wheels is adapted tobe utilized.

With-thesegeneral objects in view the invention consists of the novelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the accompapen ed claims. v

In the drawings forming a part of this nyin drawings, and pointed out inthe ap- -a plication and in which like designating c aracters refer tocorresponding parts throughout the several views,

made for the installation of a plurality members or e'mplo'yedforcontrolling connection with the simultaneou actuating means e efor and ij Fig. at is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of a boatprovidedv'vith the invention 'adjacently positioned wheels illustratedin illustrating a manner of utilizing the power from the wheel'sand' foradjusting the motor-supportingmember in the water. I

Referr n morem detail 'tothe drawings,

my invention consistsof a current wheelespecially adapted foruse-intandem or pairs with the adjacent wheels such as 10. and 11 adapted forrevolution in opposite directions 10 the powerfof the water. Each of thewhee s 10 and 11 consists'of a frame formed of top. and bottom members..12 'and 13, in the form of crossed bars Hand 15 respectivelyconnectedadjacent their outer free ends by posts 16.. x ,l

A central shaft 17 is journa'led through thrust bearing 18 centrallyof'theiewer frame 13, a securing collar 19 adjacent the upper frame 12,retainingthe shaft in vertical position for rotation as a power shaft.

Spaced hubs 20 and 21 shaft 17 and carry annular members 24 find 25which are supported in spaced relation by perpendicularbearing rods 23which con-,

met the outer edges of the said annular members 24 and 25, while theupper annulus is connected by braces 26 with the aforementionedpositioning collar 19.

As will be apparent, theh'flbs 20 'and 21 with the rods 23 andannuli: 24and'25 as well as the braces 26, and 'collarli), .revolvei 4 between theframe members 12 and 13, with 4 the shaft 17.; I

A blade 27 is swlngingly sus ended at.

the upper frame l2""and7--has a suitable -I are secured to the the upperside of each rod23, adapted for the verticahouter side of its supportlngframe rod for presenting its entire surface 'to the force of thecurrentfor revolving the -whe'el and its shaft 17. vdouble curvature iscarried between the frames 12 and 13, by uprights 29, the said bracketbeing positioned at one side of wheel within the path of movement of'theblades 27, so that said blades will ride u wardly upon the inclinedportion 30 oft e bracket 28, when the blades successively reachsubstantially their down-stream extremity of movement. In other words,the blades 27 are adapted to travel up the innormal positioningvertically in contact with A bracket 28 of cline of the bracket 28 in afeathering movement after having received the full impulse or power ofthe current, the blades riding horizontally over the bracket 28 in anelevated position and dropping off of the free end 31 of the bracket atthe upstream side of the wheel to again present" themselves to the,force of the current.

My current wheel may be employed singly or in plurality as founddesirable, the wheels being secured insubmerged position in any desiredmannerlgsuch as by attaching the posts 16 t0 the bottom 32 of a boatorscow The wheels may have to be mounted by means of the posts 16, upona boat, raft, or'float, for ready transfer to the position desired foruse and sunk to the desired depth within the water for receiving thepower of the current upon the blades 27. It will be apparent that theblades 27 are inoperative when horizontal, and that such arcuate guidesas 34 positioned in the same horizontal plane as the horizontal portionsof the brackets 28' will render the entire wheel inoperative when theguide 34 is positionedto receive the blades 27 from the bracket end3l,preventing the blades'from dropping to their vertical operativepositions. ,The guide 34 of the current wheel 10 is pivoted as at 35 toone of the posts 16 with its central portion sliding in a block member36 upon the adjacent post and with its opposite end articulated by apin'and slot connection 37 with a lever 38 through which an uprightshaft 39 is secured, 'the said shaft .beingjournaled between the frames12 and 13.

A crank 40 at the upper end of the shaft 39 extends above the wheel toan point such as above the deck 41 o the scow 33 as illustrated-in Fig.4. Upon turning the crank 40 in one direction, the lever 38 ulls theguide 34 inwardly toward the racket 28 to the dotted line positionillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, permitting the blades 27 totravel from the free end 4 31 of the bracket 28 onto the adjacentend ofthe guide 34. The bladeswill then travel horizontally until nearing theivot point 35 where they drop off of the guide 34 only to be received bythe inclined portion 30 of the bracket,28. The force of the currenthaving substantially no effect upon the horizontal blades, the wheel 10is brought at rest by this inward movement of the guide .34while uponreversing the rotationof the shaft 39, the guide is swung outwardlyclear of the blades 27 permitting the blades to take the vforce of thecurrent when the blades swing 'to their vertical positions.

I While a single unit or wheel such as 10 I may-be employed, the use ofa companion wheel 11 is' especially advantageous, the

wheel 11 beingarranged to revolve in an opposite direction from thewheel 10 thereby suitable gages the post 16- at the opposite side of thewheel forming a stop when the guide is in its inoperative outwardposition, as illus trated in Fi 1.

The complete operation of the power plant will be apparent from thisdetailed description thereof, the guides 34 being simultaneouslyoperable by the lever crank 40, for inward and outward movements torender the'wheels idle or active at the will of the attendant. Themanner of utilizing. the power generated by the current wheels may bevaried at will such an arrangement as herein illustrated in Fig. 4 beingfound especially serviceable and consisting of gear wheels 45 carried bythe power shafts 17 with meshing pinions 46 transferring the power to acommon power. shaft 47 horizontally mounted upon the boat 33. It will.

may be employed in the current wheels of the construction herein setforth and that the actuating crank 40 for the controlling guides 34, 34,may be positioned wherever desired, such details of construction beingmatters relating to particular installations of the power plant.

In Fig. 4 the current wheel is. illustrated as being secured beneath thebottom of the hull 33, with vertical spars 48 atopposite sides of thehull adapted for maintaining the same in position during verticalmovement, block and tackle members 49 being preferably connected betweenthe spars 48 and a railing or slideway 50 upon the adjacent gunwale ofthe hull.- It will be understood that this arrangement is serviceable intidal waters and the whole is suitably anchored by a chain 51 at theadjacent end or how of the craft. The current wheels may be positionedin the manner described either adjacent the bottom of the water or atany point beneath the surface thereof, for receiving th e rnaxi mumforce of the current in its prevailing d1- rection of travel, thefeathering of the blades 27 at the opposite sides of the wheels of eachpair of motor members being of considerable importance as well as theready manipulation of the blade guides of each wheel simultaneously forrendering the entire plant instantly operative or inoperative at thewill of the distantly positioned attendant.

While the form of the invention herein set forth is by embodiment of thestructure, it will blades from said the ess be'understood that changesmay be herein, Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention as claimed. aving thus described my invention, what and desireto secure by Letters atent is I l. A power plant comprising acljacentlypositioned current wheels adapted for revolution in opposite directions,feathering means for the blades thereof, positioning guides lying in thesame plane with the upper end of the feathering means adapted forreceiving the blades from said ieatl'lering nieans, whereby the plant isrendered inoperative and simultaneous actuatingmeans for said guides. v

2. A power plant comprising of'oppositely positioned current wheelsincluding impulse blades, brackets for the wheels adapted for renderingthe blades inoperative in horizontal positions, at the limit of theirpower strokes and simultaneously operable guides adapted for receivingthe brackets uositioned in subplurality way of illustration as apreferred stantially the of oppositely same horizontal plane as the endsof the brackets. plant comprising a plurality free'up-stream 3. powereluding impulse blades,

wheels adapted for rendering the blades in operative in horizontalpositions at the limitv of their power strokes, guides for the bladespivoted in substantially the same planes as the upper ends'of thebrackets adapted for receiving the inoperativeiy positioned blades fromthe inwardly and simultaneous for the guides of said wheels.

A. power plant comprising wheels hating swinging impulse blades adaptedfor presentation to the force of the current at opposite sides of thedevice horizontal guides at the operative sides'of the wheels pivoted atcorresponding ends, actuactuating means positioned current wheels in-.brackets for the.

currentlatter when the guides are shifted ating means for the guide ofone wheel and operative connectionsbetween said actuating means and theguide of the other whee In testimony whereof I alllx my signature.

wiLLiA J. Mc CrAVOCK. l

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